The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to remote work. Amidst the surge in hybrid or remote working cultures, businesses might be looking to migrate their offices to reflect the new working model. It can be an uphill task in today’s world to relocate offices compared to before. The reason is that previously you just had to shift the office furniture.
However, apart from moving the furniture today, you also need to worry about your IT infrastructure and the network configuration. It is a very technical and complicated process, not to mention a bit costly. As a business, you want all of the shifting done as soon as possible without wasting much time, affecting the office’s operations and productivity.
You also need to ensure that the new office’s location is ideal for customers and will reap benefits in the coming days. Shifting your office IT infrastructure does not have to be a headache. By planning ahead of time, you can make sure no time is wasted and start doing business as soon as you move into the new office.
You need to develop a continuity plan for your business which guarantees you work smoothly even after shifting to a new location. This article will discuss steps you can follow to ensure your IT infrastructure is smoothly relocated without causing operational difficulties.
STEP 1: ADVANCE PLANNING
Before relocating, you should plan the relocation of office IT infrastructure months before. At the new office, the cabling demand must be identified. A comprehensive site visit can achieve it. It would be best if you also got in touch with your Internet service provider and other tech vendors as soon as you have the exact shifting date. It would help if you informed your tech vendors and internet service providers at least two months prior since they may not come on time and cause operational problems.
Step 2: IT INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENT
Before relocating into your new office, it is a good opportunity to check the condition of your IT equipment. They may require updates and upgrades considering how fast technology becomes obsolete. The assessment starts with creating an inventory of existing devices. Then an evaluation can be done to determine if the existing equipment set-up is feasible for the current market landscape and the new office location. If any equipment demands an upgrade, make a separate list for it. Moreover, any equipment that has become useless for the business should be disposed of or sold.
STEP 3: CREATE A SITE VISIT CHECKLIST
By now, you have a greater idea regarding your IT infrastructure requirements. So now is the time to schedule a site visit with your IT team to understand better the new office’s IT system requirements. A site visit to your new office is an important part of ensuring a smooth transition of your IT infrastructure to a new location. Make sure your Tech vendors, internet service provider and a cabling company are also present with you during the site visit.
STEP 4: CONSIDER DATA PROTECTION
All sorts of risks are involved in relocating your IT infrastructure to a new location. While you cannot avoid the risk, you certainly can reduce it by getting ready for it before time. Let’s consider that your IT equipment broke during the shifting phase, and your data on it gets lost. How do you reduce the risk of data loss? It’s simple. You should backup all your data before relocating so that even if the equipment gets damaged, your data is not lost and does not lead to operational disruption.
STEP 5: SHIFTING AND EQUIPMENT SET-UP
This is the final step and extremely important. You need to be on your toes and assess everything since any mistake can lead to future disruptions. Things you should check and look into when you shift to a new office are:
- Ensure that all your IT equipment is working properly.
- Check the internet speed. Make sure you are not getting slow internet.
- Ensure all the cables and IT equipment are where they need to be.
- Make sure all your phones are working properly.
- Test each network connection individually.
Conclusion
It concludes our article on how to move your office’s IT infrastructure successfully. If you are planning to relocate your office, MITS can help you with it. We are specialised in planning, designing, and executing IT infrastructure migration projects. Rest assured, you will face minimal downtime.
